Here are the most anticipated January 2025 games

It’s a new year, and to help celebrate the month of January 2025, we have a bunch of stellar games, including a remaster of a beloved Vita game and the next entry of a popular action franchise. You’ll also blow heads off in excessive detail as you fire your powerful weaponry in Sniper Elite: Resistance.

Dynasty Warriors Origins (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Developer: Koei Tecmo
Price: $69.99
Release Date: January 17
Trailer

The Dynasty Warriors series looks as epic as ever in this next entry. As a nameless hero protagonist, you’re stepping into the field of hundreds of warriors. You’ll be utilizing fast-paced combos and abilities called arts to take down these foes. There’s also a strategic element to the visual madness on screen as you command your allies to advance or cavalry charge to victory (or failure). You’ll also have to manage the morale of your forces, which should be quite the challenge. Hopefully, you’ll still be able to enjoy the breakneck action despite the strategic elements of this new entry.

“Omega Force and Koei Tecmo have taken a lot of the staples from the franchise like massive-scale battles and expanded them while also improving the overall game through better storytelling, more interesting combat, and a player character-driven focus,” said our preview.

It will be launched on consoles and PC systems on January 17. Those who purchase the Digital Deluxe Edition can start on January 14.

Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Binary Haze Interactive
Developer: Adglobe, Live Wire
Price: $19.99
Release Date: January 22
Trailer

An indie highlight from the January 2025 games lineup is Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist. It’s a sequel to the critically acclaimed Metroidvania Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights. The sequel was previously launched through Steam Early Access and has an impressive Overwhelmingly Positive 97% rating on Steam.

In this entry, you play as an attuner named Lilac, who can summon the power of the Homunculi. In this journey, you wake up from a laboratory, try to find your lost memories and save “precious friends in the Land of Fumes,” according to the Steam page. You’ll come across pretty 2D art and 30 different unique skills from the companions you meet as you explore this post-apocalyptic world. There’s also a lot of equipment, relics, and items to find on your adventure.

Freedom Wars Remastered (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC)

Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: Dimps
Price: Unannounced (as of the time of writing)
Release Date: January 10
Trailer

The PlayStation Vita hidden gem Freedom Wars finally gets a remaster on modern platforms on January 10. It has a unique scenario for this co-op action game. You begin your life as a criminal for just being born, and you’re fighting enemies and finishing missions to reduce your sentence. Bandai Namco says the game supports a 4K resolution and 60 frames per second on all current-gen platforms. Additionally, the game has upgraded textures, but to be honest, from the screenshots and footage so far, you can still tell it was originally a Vita game.

The game has an overhauled weapon crafting system, new difficulty options, and more gameplay upgrades in Freedom Wars Remastered. As you play through the game, you’ll be given Thorn weapons to help you traverse each level and take down enemies. These weapons let you set traps, provide healing, and more benefits to your team. The materials you gather from fallen enemies will let you upgrade your weapons, similar to the Monster Hunter series. The original Vita release of Freedom Wars received an 8/10 score from our review, so the remaster may be worth checking out.

Sniper Elite: Resistance (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Rebellion
Developer: Rebellion
Price: $49.99
Release Date: January 30
Trailer

Sniper Elite: Resistance takes us back to World War 2 as we snipe Nazis in a hidden war amongst occupied France. We play as Harry Hawker, an operative tasked with eliminating the Wunderwaffe, a weapon that would guarantee the Nazis victory in the war. Sniper Elite‘s X-ray kill cam is back in this game as it gives us the visceral details of a bullet entering the noggin (and other body parts) of your enemies. You’ll need to consider gravity, wind, and even your heart rate to get the perfect shot.

As you play through Sniper Elite: Resistance, you’ll be able to customize and upgrade your weapons with all manner of scopes, stocks, barrels, magazines and other attachments. You’ll also get the ability to use armor-piercing shells to finish your task when the game drops onto physical and digital store shelves on January 30.

Tales of Graces f Remastered (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC)

Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: TOSE CO. LTD
Price: $49.99
Release Date: January 17
Trailer

Asbel’s adventures return in Tales of Graces f Remastered when Bandai Namco releases this JRPG for modern platforms on January 17. This new version of the adventure includes graphical improvements, auto-save functionality, the ability to turn off enemy encounters, and the addition of dashing rather than the slower running. You can also skip cutscenes with this release, and icons have been added to the UI to make the experience clearer. Most of the original DLC from the PS3 version is included in the package.

The story revolves around three kingdoms vying for control of the world. Our heroes, such as Asbel, Richard, and Sophie, must work together to save the beautiful world Ephinea. While playing this on the PS3, my teenage self loved the probably corny storyline, which focused on the friendship between the characters that grow from childhood; hopefully, it ages well.

Honorable Mentions

The January 2025 games lineup has many remasters and ports. They include the Wii platformer Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, and the new remaster of the PS1 classic Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 also finally arrives on PC in January.

• Airborne Empire Early Access (PC) – January 13
• Assetto Corsa EVO Early Access (PC) – January 16
• Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Switch) – January 16
• Border Town Early Access(PC) – January 23
• Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) – January 23
• Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S) – January 28
• Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. (PC) – January 28
• Cuisineer (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – January 29
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure (Switch, PC) – January 30
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (PC) – January 30
• Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero (PS4, PS5, Switch) – January 30